Globalisation and HR practices in Africa: when culture refuses to make way for so-called universalistic perspectives

The paper examines how factors embedded in the cultural and institutional framework in Sub-Saharan African organisations interact with global perspectives and resist changes in human resource management (HRM) processes. It examines the tensions between indigenous and historical factors, and external sources, in African HRM. The research surveyed 100 African HRM professionals from major institutional actors in Nigeria. The research found that, despite globalisation, African HRM practices remain largely culture-bound. Many aspects of Sub-Saharan African cultures pervade organisational processes, e.g., collectivism and paternalism, and 'refuse' to make way for change. However, some temerarious cultural aspects - often described as counter-productive - could be utilised for community and employee engagement. The paper makes a significant contribution to the scarce African HRM literature. It demonstrates that HRM policies have specific cultural orientations and reflect the societal predispositions of the region; this exemplifies how cultural paradigms, political spheres and organisational life are intertwined in African.